The Princess and the Knight
by Kiwi Ootori
Summary: When Harry accidentally throws them into a fairy tale, it's up to Hermione, Draco, Harry, and Ron to set things right and bring back Hogwarts. One wrong move, and everyone they know and love could be killed! (Dramione, and a good adventure) Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Harry Potter or any of these characters. I wish I did, but, alas, I do not. Enjoy~**

It wasn't supposed to end up like this. One moment, they were reading muggle fairy tales, the next minute, they were in a fairy tale. And Hermione was sure it was Harry's fault. He'd been the one to pick the fight with Draco that ended with a odd burst of magic hitting the books and everything turning white. She'd been reading in the library with Ron and Harry, hoping for a calm evening of talking and reading, when Draco Malfoy and some of his friends came in. It was after the war and it wasn't like she hated him, or that he still had evil intentions, but when they came in, she hoped they would just pass the table up. Of course, as fate would have it, they came straight to the table. Draco was trying to be nice and make amends, but he and Harry still didn't get along very well, and a few misplaced words had ended in both of them pulling out their wands. When they did, Harry's wand was strangely attracted to one of the books and a strange spell burst from the wand and hit the book. It all happened before anyone had a chance to react, everything had gone white.

Hermione had then woken up in a beautifully decorated room, alone, and gowned in a beautiful dress. Quickly, she'd recollected herself and stood up, trying to find out where she was. And that had led her to the book on the bejeweled desk. She now cursed to herself as she remembered just what had happened. That Harry, leave it to him to get them into another mess. She thumbed through the pages of the old book, skimming it's pages until she got to a place where the end pages had been washed clean. There was no ending, the book was incomplete! She shook her head, realization dawning on her. They would have to finish the story in order to get out! She'd heard of things like this, an old magic used for children and adults who wanted to be a part of a story. The practice had ended when many people had gotten killed when they made the wrong choice or got into the wrong story. The book in her hand was one of usual lore, a princess, a kingdom, dragons, and knights type of story. She gently placed the book down and looked into the mirror that had been laying on the desk. She had a small, silver crown with sparkly jewels adorned in the swirls and designs of the delicate metal. She, then, must be the princess. It did explain the fancy room and dress. There was a knock at the door and she jumped a bit, then took a deep breath. "Who is it?"

"It's your maid, milady. The queen would like you to come down to the dining room." A slight wave of panic flew through her stomach, but she pushed it away. She had no clue where the dining room was, but she was sure she could find it. She'd done harder tasks.

"Tell her I will be right down." She hoped that was the right way to say it, or the right things to say. She checked her dress and the shoes on her feet. She looked fine, great, actually, which surprised her a bit. The dress wasn't wrinkled, although she's been lying on the floor when she woke up. And, for whatever reason, every hair was exactly in place. She walked to the door and opened it, her heart beating fast. What if she couldn't find it? What if she messed up and got them all killed? The door opened slowly, and she saw that a girl was waiting for her. It was Luna, but dressed as a maid. Hermione silently apologized to her, as she felt bad about being a princess while Luna was a maid. But when she looked at her, Luna didn't look as if she knew what was going on. Her eyes were glazed over. Hermione decided to test her as Luna ran to her side. "Harry did it again, didn't he?" The girl looked at her weirdly.

"Princess, are you okay? What are you saying? Who is this Harry?" So Luna didn't remember. Hermione gave the worried girl a smile.

"I am just talking. The queen would like to see me, you said?" Luna bowed and guided her to the dining room, much to Hermione's relief. She was left with a boy who looked as if he was a butler. She recognized him too, but said nothing. His eyes were glazed over too. She was led to a large room, one she was sure she recognized, and sat at the table. She sat quietly, trying to calm herself. She'd been separated from her friends, but they had to be here somewhere. Would they know what was happening? Who was the queen? How would she find her friends? She had no answers for herself. All she knew was that they had recreated Hogwarts and everyone in it. Her brown eyes swept across the room, taking it in. Though the decorations were different, she felt sure she knew where she was. As she racked her memory to try and remember, the large doors opened and in walked the queen. Hermione's eyes widened and she stared. It was Molly Weasley! she wore a beautiful dress, fit for a queen, and a crown. But despite the royal dress and pamper, she still wore a motherly smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Molly walked over to Hermione and, to Hermione's surprise, kissed her forehead. "My little princess, it's so good to see you're feeling better! I was so worried! Thank goodness it was just one of those nasty colds!" Hermione was flustered, but she didn't forget to look into her eyes. They were warm as always, but glazed over. Her heart dropped as Mrs. Weasley continued to speak. Was she the only one who knew what was going on? "Now, where is that boy? I told him to come down!" Hermione perked up when she heard the older woman asking about a boy. Maybe it was Ron! She was about to open her mouth to ask when the doors opened again and in came the redhead himself. She refrained from crying when she saw him. He looked as confused as she was. His eyes were normal and he looked positively terrified, but she'd never been so happy to see him. Mrs, or should she say Queen Weasley, fussed over him for a moment before heading to her seat at the end of the table. Hermione shot a glance a Ron, who motioned to his mother and shrugged, a befuddled look on his face. She shrugged back, mouthing that they would talk later. He agreed and looked down the table at his mother. The food bell had been rung, and the servants were quickly and quietly filling their glasses and putting plates of food in front of them. Although she wasn't very hungry, and was more curious, she couldn't help but think it all smelt and looked very good. As they ate, the Queen sustained a steady amount of chatter. Hermione and Ron responded only when prompted, otherwise opting to listen. As dessert was served and the dishes were all cleared away, Molly Weasley got a serious look on her face.

"Now, I'm sure the two of you know what's going on in the kingdom." The two young wizards nodded as one, guessing it was the right thing to do. "Two kingdoms are locked in fierce battle, and I fear things will only get worse. The reason I called the two of you to breakfast so soon after your sicknesses have gone is because I have come up with a conclusion. The two of you can help end the war!" Pin-drop silence responded to her exclamation, and she smiled. "Don't worry, I am not throwing the two of you to the front lines. Hermione, I think that if you, accompanied by Ron, go to their kingdom and present to them a threat that applies to both of us, they will understand that we should ally our forces to save our race. The dragons are about to attack, I have received word from our watchers there. If we do not stop this foolish fighting, we will both be wiped out, obliterated. And that would not be very nice for any of us. So I'm sending you two to try and get both of our people to see the big picture. King Lucius and I have agreed that we want a truce, but we know that, unless we present them a bigger problem than each other, our people will never want to have peace." She paused to take a drink and let her words set in. Then, she continued. "To make sure you get there safely, two knights from their kingdom have come to show you the way." She called to a servant and ordered them to tell the knights to come in. He scurried off and, a few moments later, returned, bowing deeply.

"They are on their way, your majesty." Hermione shot another glance at Ron. He was watching and listening closely, but he shook his head when she looked at him. He looked a bit aggravated, but maybe she was just imagining it. The large doors opened once more and this time she didn't even flinch. Two figures walked into their sight, and both Hermione and Ron started. Of course the knights would be Harry and Draco. They'd been close enough together when this whole thing started. Draco looked disgruntled, Harry looked bewildered, and they both wore plain enough clothes compared to the royal pomp. Molly Weasley got up and introduced them to each other.

"This is Draco Malfoy, and this is Harry Potter. They are both accomplished knights who will accompany you on your journey." She waved her hand. "You may all be dismissed." She turned and walked from the room then, making it obvious that breakfast was over. At the same time, servants poured into the room, cleaning and clearing. Ron quickly grabbed both Harry and Hermione and dragged them out of the room, leaving Draco to follow behind them. Soon they were in a quiet hallway where they could talk. Hermione hurriedly explained the situation. She reminded them of the old, outlawed magic that had brought them there and described the book.

"We'll have to finish the book to get out. One wrong move, and everyone in Hogwarts, everyone we know, could be killed. This isn't a game, it's a race for our lives. My best guess is that we need to get to this other kingdom, convince them to stop fighting, and save both people from the treat of dragons before we get to go home." The boys, or should I say, men, listened closely as she spoke. "Draco, Harry. Do either of you know how to get to this place we need to go?" Draco answered her question when he pulled out an old paper.

"It's a map," he explained."Why we had it, I don't know. But it's a map of all the roads and kingdoms in this world." Harry spoke up.

"It was from one of the books we had in our room. Come to think of it, they were like you described, not finished. I think they were copies of the book I hit."

"It would make sense," Hermione agreed. She then turned to Ron. "What about you? Did you find any books? Or book?" Ron nodded.

"I did, but I didn't have time to got through it. All I saw was that it was the one from the library." Now this was interesting. She had a feeling each of them having the book was no coincidence. That book would help each and every one of them.

"When you get back to your rooms to pack for the journey, make sure to include the book. I have a feeling we'll need them later on." Hermione commanded them. Ron was then pulled away by the servants to his room, and before Hermione was taken away, Draco touched her arm gently. Startled, she looked up at him. His face was serious, and his blue-grey eyes locked with hers.

"We'll get out of this okay. I'll do my best to protect you, I promise you that." She was sure her jaw was dropped to the floor, and a slight blush rose on her cheeks. She shifted her gaze for a moment, then met his intense gaze.

"Thank you, Draco." She said his first name, quietly, it was odd hearing it aloud. "I trust you." She then let herself be led away. She couldn't let his sudden strangeness take over her mind, though, she had to admit, he looked very attractive when he was serious like that. She pushed the outrageous thoughts of him from her head and mentally slapped herself. She had a story to finish and a journey to pack for.

Good? More romance coming up soon~


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione didn't really do much packing. All she did was sit in a chair and say 'yes' or 'no' to dresses, shoes, undergarments, and whatnot. She felt sorry for whoever or whatever was going to be carrying her luggage, but the maids seemed to think she need more clothes than she thought. Depending on how long it took to get to where they were going, she'd probably only need one or two dresses for travel. She noticed that they had packed a lot of heeled shoes and she hoped that she'd be able wear flats of some sort during the journey. They finally left her after informing her that she would be leaving in a half hour, and she walked back to the desk that held the book. One of the blank pages had been magically filled in, and it told of their breakfast that morning. She ran her fingers over it, amazed, before slipping it into the satchel she would have with her at all times. She couldn't afford to lose it. There was another knock at the door, and a newly cleaned and pressed traveling dress was handed to her. She guessed this one was for today, and although it was obviously a royal garment, it was much more practical and comfortable. She smiled and struggled out of her current dress, tossing it to the bed after slipping it over her head. She saw that she wore a corset, like the ones her maids had packed her, and when she loosened it she could breathe better. She hadn't known she wore one, but she now knew why she'd been uncomfortable and short of breath. She decided to leave it on, loosened, of course, and she slipped into the traveling dress. As she messed with the ribbons and laces in the back, Luna opened the door and came in. When she saw that Hermione was almost ready, she rushed over.

"Princess! You shouldn't have had to dress yourself! I apologize for being late, please don't scold me!" She bowed deeply before tying up the laces and ribbons quickly and tightly. "If the queen were to know, she would have me released!" Hermione looked at the girl. This was not the Luna she knew. She had to get Hogwarts back to normal. She stayed quiet as the maid fussed over the dress and rushed her to the vanity, and decided she didn't like being a princess very much. Good food and fancy things were nice, but all the dresses, corsets, frilly things, and servants were too weird, and she couldn't wait to wear a sweatshirt and jeans when everything was back. Luna said she was done moments later and she looked up to see that her hair was done in a simple yet elegant bun with a braid. Her crown was taken to give to Ron for safekeeping and she was then taken back to the chair to have sensible shoes slipped on her feet. Luna then left, and Hermione was ready to leave. A servant came to get her luggage, which she'd been able to fit into one trunk and a bag, and she glanced around the room one last time before following another servant down to the courtyard, where they were supposed to meet.

She met the boys in the courtyard. Ron was dressed in a traveling outfit, normal for the time period they were stuck in, he wore a sword on his hip, and no crown. She guessed it was with hers in the satchel he had. Draco and Harry were not dressed as knights in 'shining armor', but they both wore swords and a protective shirt under their outer shirts, and were not clothed as richly as Hermione and Ron. They looked her over as she approached and she greeted them as normal, but she tried to avoid Draco's eyes. She still remembered what he had said, and it flustered her. Was he trying to make up for the fact that he had been a complete arse to her for all those years? Was that his way of saying he really was sorry? He'd already told her that he was sorry and that he regretted the things he'd done. So why was he acting that way? It was messing with her mind, but she couldn't forget about it. He, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, simply leading her to her horse and helping her into the sidesaddle. Not only was his helping her weird, but having to ride sidesaddle and wear a long dress was so different. Usually, she'd be able to easily slide into the saddle and take off. But now, Draco had to help her up. He had pretty much just lifted her into the sidesaddle! As he walked to his own horse, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd always been so strong. She wouldn't have an answer any time soon, though, because they had started to move. There was a noise behind her and she turned to see the cart that their less valuable luggage was being carried. It was pulled by two horses and a servant drove them onward as they began to move. They started at a steady pace and Hermione rode alongside Harry.

"So, how long will it take us to get to this 'other kingdom'? Do you know?" He nodded and pointed to the horizon. She couldn't make out anything except for what looked like the tip of a tower.

"Probably a day or so. That's why they're fighting, because they're too close. From what I read after I got ready, this used to be a conjoined kingdom until a fight broke out between the two princes over who would be king. The dispute ended with the kingdom being split and they've fought each other mercilessly ever since." Hermione was a bit surprised. Harry had been able to read some of the book in the little time they'd had, something she'd wanted to.

"Wow. Good job! Did Draco read some too?"

"Yeah, we read up on it together. We figured since we were the ones who were supposed to know our way around, we'd better know our stuff. Malfoy suggested it, surprisingly." He gave her a look. "Since when have the two of you been on first name basis?" She shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. His name had just slipped from her lips.

"He's a friend now, isn't he?" Harry looked at her funny, but he seemed to sort of accept her explanation for the time being. They rode on in silence, and she studied their weapons. Harry had, along with the sword, a bow and arrows. Draco had two swords and what looked like knives in the sash across his chest. Ron had his sword, as she'd seen before, and she herself had a knife hidden in the folds of her dress. As she looked them over, she felt pretty safe. Still, as she looked around, she hoped it would be a peaceful trip. They had been riding for a hour when Harry rode up to talk to Ron and she found herself riding beside Draco. He spoke first.

"How are you doing?" Hermione was a bit taken aback at his concern, but she looked back at him.

"Okay, the dress is a little awkward, but I'll get used to it. How about you?" He tugged at his shirt.

"The shirt's a little heavy and all this is just unreal, but it's mostly the same. I was wondering about you, in all that getup." She laughed and he smirked a bit.

"It is pretty crazy, but we'll have to deal with it." She paused. "What do you think about this trip? Do you think we'll be attacked or something?" He looked down, thinking. She started to make a joke about not knowing Malfoys could do that, but she stopped.

"I'm only going to say this once, because it's hard for me to say, but I don't know. But even if some does get up the courage to attack us, we'll defeat them, easy. Don't worry your bushy head." She made a face and touched her hair. He was obviously just joking, because her hair wasn't even bushy then. But she was glad to see a little bit of the self confidence in the Draco she knew come back. She smiled at him and then looked away, not waiting to see his reaction.

"Of course. I shouldn't have wondered." She said sarcastically. She heard him chuckle, and then they rode on in a sweet, calming silence. The only sound was that of the cart and the horses hooves. Harry turned around, and she smiled at him. he looked at her for a moment, then Draco, then he turned back around. She wondered what he was thinking, and it annoyed her that he may be thinking something about her and Draco. She shook herself and mentally slapped her head as she looked around. She had to remember where she was and what would happen if she were to let down her guard. She couldn't let Draco and Harry get to her. Suddenly, the idea of romance popped into her head and she made a face. She'd never thought about any of the guys like that before, so why should she start now? Admittedly, she would like some romance before she died, and what better guys for romance than the ones with her? She didn't know if she was going to die here, and she wouldn't know until she took her last breath, but like any girl, she wanted romance and love and steamy things and cute things. But trying to find and deal with love would only make her sidetracked, and Hermione knew doing that would be putting lives in danger. She swallowed and peeked over at Draco. He was looking off towards the mountains to their left, and the light perfectly illuminated his features. Since when had he been so attractive? She shivered and turned away, pulling the sleeves of her dress down. Not only had a cold wind started to blow, but she'd accidentally opened a part of her mind that she hadn't wanted to open. As she rubbed her arms to chase away the goosebumps, a coat was slipped over her shoulders. Surprised, she looked up as she pulled it closer to her. Draco gave her a little smile/smirk and she noticed that the coat that had been over the back of his saddle bags was the one over her shoulders.

"I'm not cold, you can have it. Don't even try to give it back, I saw you shivering." She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. "I'm telling you to keep it, Hermione." He let her name roll off his tongue like honey as he spurred his horse and rode up to Harry, who had abruptly turned around and waved to them to catch up. She shivered again, but this time it wasn't from the cold. Harry waved at her again, telling her to come join them, and as she guided her horse forward, she took a deep breath and looked at the guys in front of her. She had a feeling not being distracted from the task at hand was going to be hard.

There's a lot of description in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. I haven't mentioned this before, but I was inspired to write this by a fan art by DevaintArt user FingernailZ93, called 'Princess Hermione and Her Royal Knight Draco'. You should go check it out! Thanks for reading, and I'm sorry it wasn't up earlier, I went to upload yesterday but everything was deleted...


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer, yay- I own nothing... At all... Seriously.**

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When Hermione rode up to Harry, his face looked worried. He pointed towards a thin line of smoke that stuck out against the blue sky. It hadn't been there only moments before. "We may have trouble, but we may not. Hopefully it's just someone passing through, but we cant be too careful." Her horse suddenly snorted and pointed it's ears forwards, each other horse following it's example. Hermione quickly looked around.

"What's got these animals acting up?" Draco grumbled as he pulled at his horses reins, trying to keep the horse from bucking.

"Listen to them!" Hermione exclaimed. "Horses can sense things we cant! Quickly, now, we need to find some other path! Someone's here that shouldn't be!" Hermione turned her frightened horse. "Is there any other path we can take to get there?" Harry nodded and nudged his horse forward a bit. They were coming up to a forest and he walked towards it.

"We're almost to the forest. Hurry!" He said as he led them into the thick trees. Hermione turned as they entered, looking back at the path they had just been traveling on. Somehow, they'd managed to get the cart onto the thin path, but now, as she looked back, she saw a pair of eyes peeking at her from the brush by the path. She turned around and rode quickly until she was beside Ron. Then, she got their attention.

"They know we're in here. I saw something watching us from the bushes near the edges of the path."

"Something?" She nodded.

"That... That _thing_ that was watching us was no human. If it was, we have more problems." She swatted away a branch, then turned to look at the cart. It was making too much noise. "We have to get rid of the cart." Harry glanced over.

"How will we carry everything?" They had stopped, pondering their current situation.

"We could just leave it here." Draco suggested. Hermione shook her head.

"My maids would kill me, not to mention that I need some things in that trunk." Draco rolled his eyes, irritated.

"Well, we either leave it it and live, or keep it and be found. You suggested it." She rolled her eyes right back.

"How about we stuff everything we can into bags? I have two in the trunk that were supposed to be used for carrying dirty clothes." Ron slid off his horse.

"So do I. Come on, we need to work fast if we want to get out of here." Harry and Draco seemed to accept what he was saying, because they slid from their horses also. Hermione couldn't get down alone with her skirts, and, despite his earlier comments, Draco had walked over and helped her to the ground. She nodded in thanks and went quickly to the trunk she had packed. She was relieved that she'd been able to bring only one. Any more, and she'd be leaving most of it behind. The servant, a boy that looked younger than her, helped take the trunk from the cart so she wouldn't have to climb up. At once, she opened the trunk and found the two bags. She sifted through the clothes as quickly as she could, shoving things into the bags. When the two bags were full, she went back to her horse and took the almost empty bag on the back of her saddle and filled it with as much as she possibly could. When she was done, only a few things were left in the trunk, some things she knew she wouldn't need. She looked up at the guys to see them strapped their bags to the horses. Luckily, since they were men, they only had half the amount that she did, so she pretty much had a whole horse to her own.

Harry and Draco helped her strap the two large bags to one of the horses and the small bag back to her horse. Draco then lifted her into her saddle, ever the gentleman, and she watched as they hid the cart and their luggage. They would come back for them later. Well, hopefully. Ron came over to check on her and make sure everything was tightly secured and safe.

"How're you doing, 'Mione?" She shrugged.

"I'm fine. Did you cover everything completely?" He nodded as he tightened her horses bridle.

"Unless someone's really looking, I don't think they'll be able to find them." He reassured her, smiling. She thought he looked tired, but maybe it was just her. Harry and Draco came back then, and Draco began to outline the situation at hand while they were all in one spot.

"Somebody's following us, they've found us out. If what she," he gestured then at Hermione as he spoke, "said she saw was really an animal, then we have bigger problems. As much as I hate to say it, we're going to have to run. She might have seen a dragon, and although her imagination also might have gotten out of hand, dragons mean neither side is after us, so none of us have a hope of surviving if they attack." Harry glanced at him.

"What's so bad about running? Sometimes it must be done." Draco rolled his eyes like the very idea disgusted him.

"It's rather cowardly, Potter." He drawled. "Are you sure you're a gryffindor? Aren't they supposed to be all 'brave'?" Harry scoffed.

"I am rather sure, Malfoy, that I am indeed a gryffindor. But if we are sorely outnumbered, as we are now, and completely defenseless except for swords and arrows, which, I might add, will not do very much damage to a large dragon, we need to run to save ourselves. We aren't in our Hogwarts anymore, if you haven't noticed, and we aren't very much good without our wands." Draco looked ready to retort, but Hermione quickly intervened.

"Really, you two! Stop behaving like children! We have a serious problem here! We're talking about someone, or should I say something, following us, and I don't think it's friendly. Not after the way our horses were acting. Now, I propose we start riding now, so we have a bit of time ahead of them. I also believe we should map out where we're going and where this path takes us." She sat above them in her side-saddle, and as they looked up at her just a bit, she couldn't help but enjoy the sense of power it brought. Draco looked a tad impressed with her, and Harry was going to his bag to find the map, but it was Ron who spoke up first.

"This path should lead beside the main path. At least, that's what I saw when I looked at Harry's map." Harry found the map and nodded to verify that Ron had been right.

"There's also a path we can take that will lead us in a round-about way, but we would be able to shake off, or at least gain some time on whoever is following us. It branches off this path right up ahead." Draco leaned over to study the map and Hermione though about it for a moment before speaking.

"That sounds like the best bet for us right now." She said. "Now, if you three can get on your horses and get us moving, we might not find ourselves overtaken by our pursuers." They did just that, mounting up quickly. Their servant rode one of the large horses that had pulled the cart, the one not very heavily loaded. The other he guided with a rope. Hermione had felt sorry for the horses, but they had seemed not to notice the weight, and to like it better that way, so she'd let it go. As they started out, quickly and silently, she found herself beside the blond-haired slytherin once again. He sent a smile her way, one of his real ones, and gave her his jacket once again. She forgotten that she'd put it on his saddle when she'd dismounted the last time.

"Here, it's even colder in this bloody forest." She pulled it closer as he spoke. "And, no matter what happens, that promise I made earlier is still in effect."

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**Thank you for reading this so far. So, I've had this thing written on paper for about a week, but I procrastinate waaayyy too much and that led to me not posting this when I could have forever ago. Yeah... I apologize...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for reading! -Insert 'I am not J.K. Rowling declaimer here-**

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Hermione forced herself to stay awake, despite the aching in her muscles and the heaviness of her eyelids. They'd been riding for hours now, through the dense forest. She was tired of being hit by the branches and swatting away bugs. Draco's jacket, wrapped around her shoulders, was keeping most of the cold air out, but every once in awhile, a cold gust of wind would catch her off guard and goosebumps would jump up to meet it. Just when she thought she'd fall out of her saddle, Harry stopped. "We've got to rest for a bit. We'll just wear ourselves out otherwise." Nobody argued with him, for they were all rather tired. Even Draco said nothing, only slipping from his own saddle and helping her down like he'd done every time. It seemed Harry and Ron were fine with letting him be the one to help her up and down, because they hadn't thrown a fit when he touched her. As he helped her down, she couldn't help but realize how tired he seemed. He hadn't struggled at all beforehand, but now he could barely pick her up. She herself felt weak, and when her feet hit touched the ground, her knees almost buckled underneath her and she reached out to steady herself, gripping Draco's arms. He looked at her, seemingly surprised at her actions.

"Are you alright?" She mumbled something incoherent, then all but collapsed into his arms. Ron and Harry rushed over, worry written all over their features.

"What happened?! Wha-" Harry stopped Ron from accusing the blond when he saw the concern on the slytherins face.

"Calm down, Ron. He's just as confused and worried as we are." Ron gave Harry a look of disbelief, but shut up. At that, Draco shifted Hermione to a more comfortable position. "I'm not sure what happened, Weasel," Ron's face reddened at the mocking name, but Draco continued.

"One minute, I was getting her down from her horse, the next, she's passed out in my arms." Harry looked at the face of the exhausted girl. She seemed almost peaceful.

"She must have been really tired. I wonder if this world or whatever it is, is having a weird affect on us." Draco shrugged and, with a bit of difficulty, lifted the limp girl into his arms, holding her bridal style.

"We can figure that out after we get her comfortable. Do we have anywhere to lay her?" Ron found her blanket roll and laid it out on the ground. Draco put her down, and she curled up into the blankets, her breathing even. Harry sat on the ground near her, yawning, after tying up the horses.

"I think that the fact that we don't have our wands is taking a toll on us. That, or maybe the time here is different or something. I usually don't feel this tired." Ron groaned and leaned against a tree.

"I wish 'Mione was awake. She'd know what to do and what's going on." Draco was still sitting beside Harmione's crudely-made bed, looking over the book in his hands.

"We should have time to take a short break, I think. But someone will have to stand watch." The servant, whom they had all almost forgotten about, stepped forward.

"My Lords, I can stand watch. I'll wake you if anything is amiss." Ron looked skeptical.

"Are you sure?" The servant nodded his head rapidly.

"I've done it before, and I can do it now, if your majesty will let me." He bowed deeply then, and Ron made another face.

"Just be sure to wake us if there is anything weird." They then spread out on their own blanket rolls. As the servant sat a few feet away, alert, Ron glanced over at Draco. He had spread out his blankets quite close to where he'd been sitting, beside Hermione.

"Harry, look over there." Harry looked over at the two. Draco's breathing was already even, signaling that he was fast asleep. The dark-haired boy turned back to look at his friend. Ron's face was locked in a angry glare and his face was beginning to turn red. "That creep's too close to her." He went to get up, but Harry stopped him.

"Ron, calm down. Though I never thought that I'd be taking up for Malfoy, he probably just fell asleep there because he was too tired to move. There's no need to make such a ruckus, we're all tired." Ron settled back down, but he didn't seem happy about it. Harry wasn't sure how what was going on, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He wondered it it was just the spell as he sank into his blankets and closed his eyes.

Hermione woke up to warm breath on her forehead. She shifted for a moment, wondering why she was so uncomfortable. Then, she remembered. She was in the middle on a forest, running for her life once again, and she's collapsed on Draco when he'd been helping her down. Her face flushed at the memory, and she opened her eyes only to see the said slytherin asleep only inches away from her. His face was tranquil, something she'd never thought she'd see, his features relaxed and soft. Then, her brain started working again and she sat up quickly. Why in Merlin was he sleeping so close? She looked around, rubbing her eyes. She saw the servant looking at her, and when she looked around, she noticed that she was the only other one awake. The sky was getting dimmer, and fear seized her heart, but she pushed it away, not wanting to think about what could happen. Her hands went to her hair out of habit, only to find that it was still fixed, only a few curls out of place. A groan sounded from beside her and she looked down at Draco. He sat up, running his fingers through his hair and yawning. He looked incredibly sexy like that, just waking up, and she hoped her face wasn't red. As her fingers busied themselves trying to fix a stray curl, he stretched, looked at her, and spoke.

"Did you sleep okay?" Merlin, even his sleepy voice was sexy. She cleared her throat, not trusting her voice right off, and nodded.

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry about collapsing on you. I was just so tired. I don't know what got into me!" He reached out, and instinctively, she flinched a bit, but all he did was tuck another curl into its proper place as if it was the most normal thing he'd ever done. He drew his hand easily, and she decided it was because his brain was still groggy from sleep.

"Well, Potter said something about the magic messing with our bodies. Something about us not being used to this 'world' or whatever." Hermione nodded, thinking.

"It's very possible. I can usually function on very little sleep, but right now... I wonder if the book has anything about it inside." She felt his eyes on her, and she felt herself shaking. Shaking! Her! She forced herself to calm down, breathing deeply as she shifted the blankets off her legs. There was a shuffling a few feet off, and she turned to see Harry and Ron waking up. While Ron sat trying to wake completely up, Harry stood and gathered his blankets. Then he looked around.

"Do we have any food?" At the mention of food, Ron woke up and stood.

"I have some in my bag!" He exclaimed. Draco scoffed, apparently awake now.

"It'll be a surprise if you didn't eat it all already." Ron glared at him, his face turned the same color as his hair. Hermione quickly jumped in before the two could start fighting.

"Guys, please! We're tired, hungry, and on the run, this is not the time!" She pointed at Draco. "You control your mouth, and you," she turned to Ron."Control your temper! Now please, the food!" Ron turned to the bags on his saddle, trying to keep his temper in check. He then turned back around, a couple small bags of dried fruits and nuts in his hands.

"There's not much, but it's better than nothing." Hermione smiled gratefully as he gave her a bag. She really was hungry, she realized as she ate. They at quickly, sharing with the servant, of course, and were soon strapping the blanket rolls back on the horses. Draco came over and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders before helping her back into the saddle. As she settled into the seat, he smirked up at her.

"Well, at least you didn't fall on me this time, although it wasn't too bad of an experience."

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**Again, thank you for reading. Sorry for procrastinating and not getting these chapters up so much, it's a bad habit that I'm trying to fix. Reviews are appreciated, and thank you! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Like every other chapter beforehand, sorry for the long wait. I've been super busy with testing and babysitting and so many other things I just haven't had the time to get this up. But here it is, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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It was dark when Hermione spotted the gates of the castle they were supposed to spend the next few days in. The light at the gate was a welcome sight as they emerged from the dark, ominous forest, and Draco and Harry moved to the front. She glanced back at the woods and felt a chill run down her spine. Something told her that they had barely escaped the looming trees with their lives. Whoever had been following them no knew where they were. There were guards at the doors, and when they saw the two knights, they opened the gate, glancing at the group. "Glad the four of you made it without any problems. These are the two from the other kingdom?" The guard said it like it was poison, eyeing them warily. Draco simply nodded, choosing not to answer him and just walk through the gate, but Harry spoke to them.

"They are. Be careful, we were followed on our way here, and they may try and get into the castle." The two men nodded, and waited until the servant had gotten through the gates to close them back up. Hermione had seen a man dart into the castle as they had rode up, and now he was back with a posse of servants. He came up to her and Ron, and bowed.

"The King knows you are here, but he does not wish to see you until tomorrow morning. If you will each follow us, we will lead you to your rooms." The guys were now getting off their horses and handing them over to the stablemen, and Draco came over to help her down. As he lowered her to the ground, he whispered a simple "Be careful" into her ear. Then, he turned and walked away to catch up with Harry. Startled, she stared after him until a maid came up beside her and bowed deeply.

"Your Highness, if you will follow me, I'll lead you to your room." She could feel eyes on her as she walked after the young girl, and she understood why. She was an outsider, a threat to them, even though she was there to try and make peace between the two nations. She was pretty sure that Draco had been warning her about the servants and people of this kingdom, and she was definitely going to watch her back from now on. Not that she hadn't been before, but it seemed even more needed now. The maid led her through the halls and stopped at an elegantly-carved door. "Here we are." She said, bowing again. "Your belongings are already inside. I shall be back in a moment to help you put them away." She then opened the door and left. Glancing around, Hermione detected no signs of danger, so she stepped into the room, almost as beautiful as the one she had left behind. As the maid had said, her bags were sitting near the end of the bed, so she closed the door. She then walked to the bed and sat down, happily sinking into the feather-soft bed. After such a long ride through the woods and dirt, all she wanted to do was take a bath and go to sleep. It seemed like a bath was out of the question for the night, though, so she took down her hair and changed into her nightclothes. As she finished, she heard a knock on the door and she walked over cautiously.

"Who is it?" She asked when she reached the door.

"It is just one of your maids, Princess Hermione. We are here to help you change and put away your things." It sounded true enough, and after cracking the door to make sure it was really just the maids, she opened it all the way, allowing them to come in. "Princess! I sincerely apologize for not getting here in time to help you change!" The maid said, panicked. "Please forgive me!" Hermione waved her concerns away with her hand.

"I'm not mad, don't worry about it." As who she guessed was the head maid fussed over her hair and clothes, the others began to put away her things. They were quick and efficient, and pretty soon all her things were pressed and put away, and she was sitting on the bed with her clothes perfect and her hair combed and nice in a ponytail. The maids promised that they would be back in the morning to lead Hermione to the bath and help her get ready before finally leaving her to sleep. Sighing, she slipped into the soft, warm blankets and closed her eyes as the candles were blown out by the last maid and her door was shut. She was very tired, and even though she tried to stay awake and alert, she was soon sound asleep.

Draco paced the floor in his room, unable to sleep. Sure, he was tired, and he would love to just fall onto his bed and sleep forever, but something was nagging at him. And Malfoys hated to be nagged at. As a Malfoy, he should be sleeping and not worrying about this stupid place. And she should definitely not be worried about the not-so-bushy-haired-anymore girl sleeping in a room down the hall from his. Groaning, he walked over to the table and picked up his sword. He had to go check on her, because he couldn't shake the feeling of dread, like something bad was about to happen. Silently, he stepped from his room, his sword strapped to his side, and sneaked down the hall. One good thing about being a Slytherin out of the millions of them was that he was naturally sneaky from years of sneaking out, and cunning. He turned the corner of the hall that led to her room and stopped suddenly. There was a dark figure opening the door that he somehow knew led into her room. And the figure was wielding a knife. Quickly, he stepped out and walked towards her door as quietly as he could. The person didn't hear him, and Draco got to the door right after the person slipped in. The figure of a man loomed over the unsuspecting girl peacefully sleeping below him in the bed. Draco knew he'd have to get the element of surprise, so, still silently, he sneaked into the room as fast as possible. He got there just in time to grab the muscular arm as the man lifted the knife to strike. Surprised, the man turned to face him, and Draco drew his sword with his free hand. "What do you think you're doing?" Draco hissed lowly, pressing the tip of his sword to the mans throat. He didn't recognize the man, but the man seemed to recognize him, because he sneered.

"Oh my, if it's not knight Draco, mister perfect. Protecting the enemy, eh? You trading your own king and country for a woman?" Hermione was up now, and she reached to her nightstand and withdrew the knife in her satchel. He was glad to see her silently move into position behind the man, holding the knife tightly in both hands.

"Of course not. Are you so much of a coward that you have to sneak up on a woman in her sleep to actually kill someone? I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be here. There is a pact between both kingdoms and she is to be completely safe here." The man pretty much growled at him, his face twisted and animal-like.

"She could be a threat to your country, but you're still going off the King's orders. The King is betraying us too, by letting them come here." Draco kept his sword steady at the mans throat. Suddenly, the man turned and swung his arm away from him. His chin began to bleed as he swung towards Hermione, whose eyes widened, but she blocked the knife with her own. Out of nowhere, the man had another knife in his left hand, and Draco swung his sword, cutting the man deeply in the chest area. The man sagged and fell to the floor, but his eyes were still glowing that inhuman way. "We'll win..." he muttered. "King'll... die... Hail-" Hermione and Draco stared at him as he died, his blood staining the carpet. Hermione's face was pale, and she was shaking.

"What have we done?"

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**Wow, dramatic ending... Anyways, thank you for reading so far! Reviews are much appreciated!**


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